John

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

1Jesus said, "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener who cares for it.

Note"Husbandman" is an old word for a farmer or gardener. Here it means the person who takes care of a vineyard.

2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

2He cuts off every branch on me that grows no fruit. Every branch that does grow fruit, he trims so it will grow even more.

Note"Purge" here means to prune, that is, to cut back a plant so it grows better. It does not mean to clean or punish.

3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

3You are already clean because of the words I have spoken to you.

4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

4Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. A branch cannot grow fruit by itself. It has to stay on the vine. You are the same. You cannot grow fruit unless you stay joined to me.

5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

5I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever stays joined to me, while I stay joined to him, will grow much fruit. Without me you can do nothing.

6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

6Anyone who does not stay joined to me is thrown out like a broken branch, and he dries up. People gather such branches, throw them in the fire, and burn them.

7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

7If you stay joined to me, and my words stay in you, then ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you.

8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

8This is what brings honor to my Father: that you grow much fruit and show that you are my followers.

9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

9I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Stay in my love.

10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

10If you obey my commands, you will stay in my love. That is how I have obeyed my Father's commands and stay in his love.

11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

11I have told you these things so my joy will be in you, and your joy will be complete.

12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

12This is my command: love each other the same way I have loved you.

13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

13No one has greater love than this: to give up his life for his friends.

14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

14You are my friends if you do what I tell you.

15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

15From now on I do not call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I learned from my Father.

16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

16You did not choose me. I chose you. I picked you for a job: to go out and grow fruit, fruit that lasts. Then whatever you ask the Father for, using my name, he will give you.

17These things I command you, that ye love one another.

17This is what I command you: love each other.

18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

18If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.

19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. But you do not belong to the world. I chose you out of it. That is why the world hates you.

20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

20Remember what I told you: a servant is not greater than his master. If people hurt me, they will hurt you too. If they obeyed my words, they will obey yours too.

Note"Persecute" means to keep attacking or mistreating someone on purpose, often because of what they believe.

21But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

21They will do all these things to you because you belong to me. They do it because they do not know the One who sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

23Whoever hates me hates my Father too.

24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

24If I had not done things among them that no one else has ever done, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those things, and they still hate both me and my Father.

25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

25This happened so that what is written in their law would come true: 'They hated me for no reason.'

26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

26But I will send you the Helper from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell people the truth about me.

Note"Comforter" in 1611 English meant someone who comes alongside to help, strengthen, and speak up for you. It is not only about making someone feel better.

27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

27And you must tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the very beginning."